Uni High Gargoyle Staff Blog

On Sunday, a group of Uni students, including me, will be going on the yearly school-sponsored Habitat for Humanity trip. I applied last year but didn’t get it, which makes my acceptance this year even sweeter.

So instead of spending four days next week taking a couple of Agora Days classes at Uni as I have done in the past four years, I’ll be spending a week in Clarksdale, Miss., building houses and bonding with my fellow classmates in a way that even with Uni’s unique environment would be considered special.

Last year, the group spent a large amount of time digging ditches and making birdhouses, perhaps not among the most enticing things to do. Nonetheless, I heard from most people that the trip was an exciting and life-changing experience.

It’s not every day that you can visit, let alone volunteer at, one of the poorest cities in America.

One of the poorest cities in the country, Clarksdale has 30 percent of its population in poverty, while the median household income is at a low $22,188, roughly half the median household income in America.

Home to famous musicians and singers such as Sam Cooke and Lil Jon, Clarksdale and the general area known as the Mississippi Delta has had a strong influence in several genres of music, particularly blues and jazz. Many music-related icons are held in the Delta Blues Museum, a popular destination in Clarksdale.

Of course, the trip won’t be all work and no play. According to the daily schedule, there is about two hours every night of “Agora Days educational activities,” aka “lectures” by history teacher Bill Sutton, one of the faculty members organizing and participating in the event. And if you’ve ever sat in even one of his classes, you would know how entertaining that would be.

If that’s still not enough for you, half a day is devoted to either time to explore more of the area or time in Memphis.

This is something I’ve looked forward to for quite some time. Even before going there, I can tell this trip is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s going to have a huge impact on me.

— Benjamin Fu